Port Moresby,
Dhul Quidah 17/Feb 11 (IINA) - Papua
New Guinea is situated at the
farthest point in the east, and
occupies the eastern part of the
island of New Guinea. It is also
east of Indonesia, north of
Australia and south of the
Philippines, and has an area of
178,000 square miles. It is a
mountainous and forested country,
and was ruled by Holland, Germany,
and Britain successively, but was
later turned over to the United
Nations, under whom it was ruled
until its independence in 1975.

The first
Muslims to arrive in Papua New
Guinea were contracted laborers, who
came to it in 1972, followed by
diplomats from Malaysia and
Indonesia, who came after the
country had gained its independence,
and it was they who started Daawa
activity in the country.

In 1981, a
Briton who was a permanent resident
in Papua New Guinea embraced Islam,
and the following year a number of
indigenous Papuans followed suit,
and by year 2000 the number of
Muslims had grown to 2,000. The
number of those embracing Islam
continues to increase, despite all
the impediments in Daawa work.

In order to
carry out Daawa work properly, the
Muslims of Papua New Guinea set up
an Islamic Center here in 1988, and
in this they were helped by the
Malaysia-based Regional Council for
Islamic Daawa in Southeast Asia and
the Pacific. The Saudi Ministry of
Islamic Affairs sent them an Imam,
to lead prayers at the center.

Then in 1996
three more new Islamic centers were
established, with help from the
Makkah-based Muslim World League (MWL)
and now there is a mosque that is
being built that has a capacity for
1,500 worshippers. It is being built
with assistance from the MWL and the
Indonesian embassy in the country.

At the moment
the number of Islamic centers in the
country has reached seven, and their
main function is to teach the locals
matters relating to their faith, and
to train prospective Imams who would
man the increasing number of
mosques.

In 1981, the
Muslim Association of Papua New
Guinea was formed, the main aim
being to serve the needs of the
Muslims, and has various constituent
sections, such as the Youths
Section, the Women’s Affairs
Section, and the Publications
Section.